History VideoGame / BreathOfFireI

** The town with the zombies is named [[Creator/GeorgeRomero Romero]]. Can't get more blatant than that.

* DiscOneNuke: The Earth Key can be used to deal 30 damage to all enemies once per turn. While insignificant later on, it out-damages your warriors when you first get it and can end most fights in one round.

* DubNameChange: Mostly due to space restrictions and [[{{Woolseyism}} Square's handling of the translation]]. Only among main characters, we have Bo/Gilliam, Ox/Builder, Karn/Danc, Bleu/Deis, Gobi/Manillo, Cerl/Carla, Zog/Zorgon, Jade/Judas and Tyr/Myria. Most of the towns and enemies are also affected.

* EndlessWinter: The town of Spring is in one thanks to Sky Tower, the SkyKey, and Mote.

* Music/YokoShimomura: Composed the melody used in Prima, the merchant town.

The original game in the long-running BreathOfFire series, released on the SuperNES in April 1993 in Japan and August 1994 for North America. It was later ported out to the GameBoyAdvance in July 2001 in Japan and December 2001 in Europe and North America, with updated {{Character Portrait}}s, a dash button, graphical upgrades on the menu screen and a trade option between games (complete with a few new items as bonus).

One aspect that is well known about this game is the story behind its localization: At the time {{Capcom}} apparently didn't feel like translating such a heavy text-based game, so they handed localization and distribution duties to [[Creator/SquareEnix Squaresoft]], with Ted Woolsey involved in the translation. This ensured a somewhat decent translation, albeit with random name changes that obscured connections with its sequels and some details regarding its story lost in the transition.

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!!Provides Examples Of:

* {{Bowdlerise}}: Minor details, mostly concerning the {{Side Quest}}s on Auria: one bar patron's hangover is changed to a '[[AlcoholHic case of the hiccups]]', while a DirtyOldMan's request for a massage is rendered more or less nonsuggestively.

** The worst would have to be arriving at the Big Bad's lair, Scande...only to find that the [[BrokenBridge one working elevator]] is broken. Mind you, the Dark Dragons can simply fly up to Zog's tower if they wish, but it's still conspicuous how they don't just fix it themselves.

* TheCameo: One can spot [[StreetFighter Chun-Li]] in one thief's act in Bleak, and she shows up in the ending if certain conditions are met. There are also [[VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins Arthur]] pictures hanging inside houses.

* ChekhovsGunman: Two instances: the robed guy who keeps popping up to help the party [[spoiler:is revealed to be Jade, helping you overthrow Zog]], while in Tunlan [[spoiler:the Nina look-alike ends up being Nina after time travel shenanigans.]]

* DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: ..did the party save Ox from near death by ''kicking the crap outta death itself''!?
* DiscOneNuke: The Earth Key can be used to deal 30 damage to all enemies once per turn. While insignificant later on, it out-damages your warriors when you first get it and can end most fights in one round.
** Once you get Karn, you can get the Flame Rapier (a weapon for Nina) in the Winlan basement. Using it as an item will do 90 damage to a single enemy.
* DoomedHometown: Drogen (Dragnier), right in the prologue. Also a case of the Doom not actually hitting: while the town is majorly damaged in the prologue, it's still standing, and the residents survive.

* EasyAmnesia: Being a [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld ancient and powerful]] wizard, this serves as the excuse for Bleu's low-level: she's forgotten most of her spells during her millenia-long ConvenientComa. This also [[spoiler:plays a part late in the story with Nina]].

** BiggerBad: Tyr
** The BigBad: Zog
** TheDragon: Jade [[spoiler:([[TheStarscream at first]])]]
** EvilGenius: Both Cort ([[MadScientist Alchemically speaking]]) and Mote ([[PsychicPower psychologically speaking]])
** TheBrute: Goda
** DarkChick: Cerl [[spoiler:(until her change of heart)]]

** TheHero: Ryu
** TheLancer: Bo
** TheSmartGuy: Deis/Bleu
** TheBigGuy: Ox
** TheChick: Nina
* FlyingSeafoodSpecial: At first they appear underwater, so it's not so rare...but when they start coming out on dry land, well...

* GuestStarPartyMember: The two guards (later named Sieg and Rai) who escort Nina during her solo time, and the third one (Enon) who guides Ryu afterwards.

** Gobi can actually buy several InfinityPlusOneSword from random customers. Even better : at some point the set of items you can buy change so if you want them all, you can't just wait to get at the end game with a huge pile of money and then buy them all. (Especially since Gobi's own best weapon can't be gotten in the final set of items)

* HPToOne[=/=]ChekhovsSkill: The Dragon Heart song that you learn in Tunlan is a song that damages dragons and reduces Ryu's HP to 1. It could be useful later. [[spoiler: Like against Zog, or Sara.]]
* IAmNotAGun: The Stone Robot refuses the General's commands to destroy the village of Tantar (it had just destroyed Tantar's twin city Tuntar, but no one was in it at the time). After the General is defeated, the Stone Robot jumps into a volcano to prevent being used as a weapon ever again.

* MockGuffin: The anticlimatic 'Book of Thieves' hidden in Krypt's basement. The logic being: if he's made it that far, Karn is ''already'' the world's greatest thief, and therefore doesn't need a handbook.

* MultipleEndings: Starts out the trend. Two endings, depending on [[spoiler:if you get the last dragon form and use it on the last boss.]]
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Mote's japanese name, in reference to Sigmund Freud.

* PlotCouponThatDoesSomething: Out of the six Goddess Keys, only 3 can be used in-game: the Light and Dark Key switches daytime/nightime, and the Earth Key mimics an earthquake attack. The Time Key isn't usable in battle, but [[spoiler:when Nina uses it, she undergoes her PlotRelevantAgeUp.]]
* PlotRelevantAgeUp: [[spoiler: Nina]]

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: Poor [[spoiler:Cerl.]]
** [[spoiler:Averted if you revisit the site of Cerl's "death"; you'll see that she and Alan have been reverted to childhood via TimeyWimeyBall.]]
** In ''The Dragon Warrior'' manga, [[spoiler:Jade gets one as well]], paired with a TogetherInDeath with [[spoiler:his lover Sara.]]
* SelfImposedChallenge: A good way to crank up the game's difficulty is to never use any of Ryu's dragon transformations [[spoiler:(until the final battle, which requires using the Agni form for the good ending)]] or Karn's fusion spells. Can be taken UpToEleven by never using Nina's healing spells.

* ShoutOut: The leader of the golden city Auria is named Rosewater in the original, from the main character of KurtVonnegut's story "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater".
** Sieg and Rai on the GBA port can be seen as one too.

* ShoutOutThemeNaming: Bo's japanese name is Gilliam, while the son of his tribe's chief is Terry...together they form Creator/TerryGilliam.

* TheThreeTrials: There are [[RuleOfThree three]] shrines where Ryu is put to a test before having his dragon forms unsealed. [[spoiler:The fourth and final dragon form, interestingly, requires no such trial and is granted instantly.]]

* TwoBeingsOneBody: The special ability of Karn is to merge himself with other party members. [[spoiler:Ryu's last dragon form]] also works like this.
* VideoGameGeography: Type 1 "toroid".

* WeaksauceWeakness: Though it doesn't seem to affect anyone else in the group, the 'Shock' spell will [[OneHitKill completely annihilate]] Ryu almost 100 percent of the time, unless he is protected from it by Wall (a spell Nina learns that reflects magic attacks). This extends even to his dragon forms

* Creator/YokoShimomura: Composed the melody used in Prima, the merchant town.

* :YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: As if anyone thought [[spoiler: Zog would be the end...]]

* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: The American release replaced the anime inspired box art with something vaguely resembling ConanTheBarbarian.

* PlotCouponThatDoesSomething: Out of the six Goddess Keys, only 3 can be used in-game: the Light and Dark Key switches daytime/nightime, and the Earth Key mimics an earthquake attack. The Time Key isn't usable in battle, but [[spoiler: when Nina uses it, she undergoes her
PlotRelevantAgeUp.]]

* PlotCouponThatDoesSomething: Out of the six Goddess Keys, only 3 can be used in-game: the Light and Dark Key switches daytime/nightime, and the Earth Key mimics an earthquake attack. The Time Key isn't usable in battle, but [[spoiler: when Nina uses it, she undergoes her PlotRelevantAgeUp.]]

* TurnsRed: ''Every freaking boss'' has a secondary, '''[[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard invisible]]''' lifebar once the first one is depleted, often twice as large as the original.

* EvilTowerOfOminousness: Zog's throne room at Scande. Also, the [[CaptainObvious Goddess Tower]].

** Gobi can actually buy several InfinityPlusOneSword from random customers. Even better : at some point the set of items you can buy change so if you want them all, you can't just wait to get at the end game with a huge pile of money and then buy them all.

* TheCameo: One can spot [[StreetFighter Chun-Li]] in one thief's act in Bleak. There are also [[VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins Arthur]] pictures hanging inside houses.

** TheBigBad: Zog

* BrokenBridge: Everywhere! Literal cases includes the bridge following Tantar/Tuntar, the bridge on Guts and the small bridge before Scande. Other examples include a frozen waterfall and an underwater chasm.

* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: The American release replaced the anime inspired box art with something vaguely resembling Conan.

Cut to many, many years after: The [[TheEmpire Dark Dragon Empire]] has grown in power, and under the leadership of their [[TheEmperor Emperor]] [[BigBad Zog]], they are waging war against the world while searching the keys to release Tyr. The Light Dragons are the first on Zog's hit-list, but they are saved from annihilation by the sacrifice of their priestess, Sara. Missing ever since, Sara's brother Ryu embarks on a quest to [[IWillFindYou find her]], while gathering allies who are all opposing the Dark Dragons' ambition.

One aspect who's well known about this game is the story behind its localization: At the time {{Capcom}} apparently didn't feel like translating such a heavy text-based game, so they handed localization and distribution duties to [[Creator/SquareEnix Squaresoft]], with Ted Woolsey involved in the translation. This ensured a somewhat decent translation, albeit with random name changes that obscured connections with its sequels and some details regarding its story lost in the transition.

Cut to many, many years after: The [[TheEmpire Dark Dragon Empire]] has grown in power, and under the leadership of their [[TheEmperor Emperor]] [[BigBad Zog]], they are waging war against the world while searching the keys to release Tyr. The Light Dragons are the first on Zog's hit-list, but they are saved from decimation by the sacrifice of their priest, Sara. Missing ever since, Sara's brother Ryu embarks on a quest to [[IWillFindYou find her]], while gathering allies who are all opposing the Dark Dragons' ambition.

** If you live in a town called [[NightOfTheLivingDead Romero]], don't be surprised if zombies come out at night, just sayin'.

One aspect who's well known about this game is the story behind its localization: At the time {{Capcom}} apparently didn't felt like translating such a heavy text-based game, so they handed localization and distribution duties to [[Creator/SquareEnix Squaresoft]], with Ted Woolsey involved in the translation. This ensured a somewhat decent translation, albeit with random name changes that obscured connections with its sequels and some details regarding its story lost in the transition.

* AlwaysNight: When it comes to Goddess keys, [[MeaningfulName Bleak]] definitely got the short end of the stick.
** Not that the thieves of Bleak seem to mind at all. In fact, once the Dark Key is taken from the Light Keep and the sun can once again rise on the village, the thieves all seem kind of depressed.

* [[spoiler:YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: As if anyone thought Zog would be the end...]]